A gentle mist clung to the orchard at daybreak. Each row of apple trees shimmered with droplets of dew, and lanterns still glowed along the wooden fence posts. The orchard had grown quieter over the last two days since the forced-awakening ruin was discovered and destroyed. Still, no one quite let down their guard—an undercurrent of watchfulness remained. One could almost sense that the shadows hadn't fully receded, only stepped back to reconsider their next move.

Quiet Tensions and a New Routine

Kael rose early, slipping out before even his father, Joren, stirred. Slivers of gray light filtered through the barn's half-open doors. He retrieved the synergy-etched plates he'd finished forging a few nights earlier—those illusions that might further baffle intruders. Tucking them under an arm, he ventured along the orchard's perimeter.

Though only six years old in body, Kael moved with a purposeful stride. If we rely solely on extra patrols, we might miss the next sabotage. He found a rickety fence section near the orchard's north boundary—an ideal spot to install illusions. Carefully, he knelt down, pressing the first metal plate to a reinforced wooden post. Its runic lines gleamed faintly as he fed a trickle of mana into it. The illusions would remain mostly dormant until anyone hostile approached.

He repeated the process along three more fence posts, ensuring coverage of a roughly thirty-yard stretch. Each plate concealed itself under a thin layer of orchard grime so it wouldn't draw attention. By the time Kael finished, the sun had climbed higher, bathing the orchard in a soft golden glow. Workers started to appear among the rows, calling greetings or yawning through their morning chores.

Kael dusted off his hands. That should suffice. If an intruder tries meddling around here, they'll find illusions warping their sense of distance and direction. Satisfied with this quiet improvement, he slipped back to the barn to begin his daily forging.

A Subtle Shift in Kael's Forging

Inside, the barn's forge crackled with a low, comforting heat. Kael fed it fresh charcoal, stirring until the flames steadied. Even after recent excitement—capturing a saboteur, unearthing a forced-awakening ruin—Kael's personal routine remained consistent: Train, improve synergy control, refine forging technique. He thrived on these incremental steps.

But he sensed that his forging approach had begun to evolve. He was no longer content hammering basic synergy wards. The illusions had awakened new ideas: maybe runic inscriptions could be layered to produce more complex arrays—small illusions tied to mild elemental effects. Combining illusions with a minor shock or a momentary flash of light might disorient foes more effectively.

He selected a short strip of steel from the scrap bin. If I can craft a small portable ward, orchard workers can carry it when patrolling, he thought. Something akin to a "flash talisman": on activation, it would release a brief, dazzling flare to distract enemies or awaken beasts. Brimming with quiet eagerness, Kael placed the steel over the forge and began shaping it with measured hammer blows.

Clang—clang—clang… The rhythmic strikes reverberated through the barn. Kael paid keen attention to the synergy pulses in his arms, weaving faint Fire mana to heat the metal, a whisper of Air synergy to trim away imperfections. Each strike felt more deliberate now, guided by months of forging practice. Though no immediate leaps in attribute or synergy mastery came, Kael sensed a deepening unity between mind, mana, and metal.

The Scholar's Unexpected Visit

Late that morning, as Kael wiped sweat from his forehead, a murmur passed among orchard hands near the entrance path. A traveling figure in simple, dusty robes stood at the orchard gate, conversing quietly with Rowan. Something in the scholar's posture, the way he carried a leather-bound tome, rang a bell in Kael's memory. Is that Gethran, the traveler I encountered by the creek?

Indeed, as Kael stepped closer, he recognized the man's lined face and keen eyes. Gethran. The robed visitor offered a polite nod to Rowan, who waved Kael over. "Kael," Rowan called, "This scholar says he's passing through again. Wants to ask about recent orchard troubles."

Kael approached, careful to maintain his calm, boyish demeanor. "Greetings, sir," he said politely.

Gethran's expression brightened slightly. "Ah, Kael. I recall you. You were dabbling in synergy by that creek." He glanced around. "I hear rumors of forced-awakening sabotage here—did you manage?"

Rowan's tone was wary but courteous. "We did. We captured one saboteur; the reeve's men took her away."

Gethran's gaze flickered, as though weighing new information. Then he turned to Kael. "I also hear rumors that you found evidence in an old ruin. Quite resourceful for one so young. Might I speak with you about it?"

A subtle prickle of caution ran through Kael. He kept his voice even. "We discovered a partial forced-awakening formula, nothing more. The reeve has it now."

Gethran's eyes narrowed with thoughtful curiosity. "Such knowledge is dangerous in the wrong hands. I trust the reeve will handle it responsibly." He exhaled. "Thank you, that's all I wished to confirm."

With that, the scholar offered an exchange of pleasantries, politely refusing Rowan's half-hearted offer of tea, and continued on his way. As he departed, Kael couldn't shake the feeling that Gethran's interest was more than mere scholarly curiosity. Is he just a roving researcher or something else? The orchard hardly needed new mysteries, but Kael resolved to keep a mental note of Gethran's unexpected reappearance.

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A Brief Detour: The Merchant Caravan

Shortly after midday, the orchard's hush broke as a small merchant caravan arrived—two wagons carrying barrels of seeds, fertilizer, and a few supply crates for Rowan. The orchard didn't often see such caravans, so the arrival caused a modest commotion. Workers bustled around, offloading goods, verifying orders.

Kael, curious, helped check the crates. One contained specialized forging minerals his father had requested months ago. Another held vials of basic healing salve to replenish the orchard's stock. As Kael scanned the inventory, the caravan driver, a stout fellow named Dremir, eyed the orchard's newly reinforced fences with interest. "Heard you folks had trouble with awakened beasts," he remarked. "Looks like you're serious about security."

Rowan's face remained neutral. "We've had our share of… incidents. Nothing we can't handle." He signed off on the delivery receipt, discreetly steering Dremir away from prying deeper.

Kael quietly pocketed a small pouch of forging reagents from a crate—items his father had specifically arranged for him. Rare dust that can enhance runic lines, he noted. He'd experiment with them soon, maybe refine the "flash talisman" prototype.

Evening Spar with Rannen

With orchard chores winding down, Kael's older brother, Rannen, returned from a short errand in the nearby village. Word around the orchard was that Rannen intended to join a local guard company soon, wanting to sharpen his sword skills in a more official capacity. Before that, however, Rannen had promised Kael another evening spar—friendly sibling practice to keep both on their toes.

They headed behind the barn, where open space allowed safe swordplay. The sun dipped low on the horizon, drenching the orchard in orange light. Kael clutched a wooden practice sword, adjusting his stance. Rannen stood opposite him, a wry grin on his face.

"All right, little brother," Rannen teased, "show me that fancy footwork again."

Kael feigned a sheepish nod. No need to reveal too much. He carefully locked away most of his synergy, using only faint pulses to stabilize. Rannen lunged, his strikes disciplined but not lethal. Kael weaved aside, parried, and occasionally riposted. Each time he detected an opening, he withheld the full force of synergy that might flatten Rannen altogether. Must keep the façade.

Even so, Rannen soon found himself pressured. Kael's footwork was unnaturally refined for a child. Panting lightly, Rannen blocked a swift thrust at his side. "You sure you're only six?" he muttered with an amused glint.

Kael offered a shy shrug, stepping back to reset. "I just practiced forging stances… helps me keep balance." With a final exchange of blows, Kael allowed Rannen to push him back, giving Rannen the apparent upper hand. Rannen concluded the match with a gentle tap to Kael's shoulder.

"Hah," Rannen exhaled, sheathing his practice blade. "You're going to surpass me soon if you keep this up."

Kael mustered a boyish grin. "Thanks, big brother." Inside, he recognized how carefully he'd had to rein in his synergy. At least no one suspects too much—yet. Their brief spar left him with a pleasant ache, a sign his body was still building fundamental strength.

Quiet Discoveries

After dinner, Kael sneaked back into the barn to test the newly arrived forging dust on his half-finished "flash talisman." He laid out the small steel piece on the anvil, sprinkling a pinch of the powder across the etched runes. A subtle arc of mana danced along the metal's surface, reacting to the dust's faint catalytic properties.

If I blend Fire synergy with a bit of Light synergy… He inhaled, channeling a measured thread of each. Light synergy had always been one of his lesser-used elements at Basic level, but it remained stable enough for minor illusions. He guided the synergy into the runes, letting them bond with the dust's catalytic effect.

The metal flared once, a quiet flash that lit the barn interior. Kael grinned, heart pounding with excitement. It works.With more refinement, it could become a compact device orchard guards could trigger—momentarily disorienting enemies or awakened beasts without lethal force.

He repeated the process, carefully adding more runic lines for stability. By the time the metal cooled, Kael realized the forging dust had anchored the synergy nicely. I'll keep refining this. One day, I might craft more advanced synergy tools, maybe even portable illusions to mask entire squads. But for now, his "flash talisman" was enough of a stepping stone.

No immediate skill breakthroughs or system prompts greeted him. Still, he sensed the intangible growth of combining synergy channels in forging. Slow and steady, he reminded himself. That was the safest path for a reincarnated magus who refused to blow his cover too soon.

A Murmuring Nightfall

As midnight approached, Kael returned to his spot in the barn loft. Outside, orchard patrols resumed under the faintly glowing illusions on the fence posts. No new sabotage attempts had come in days, leaving many orchard workers quietly hopeful that the crisis had truly passed. Yet Kael couldn't help but feel the orchard was simply in the eye of a storm—that the saboteurs might regroup, or hidden foes like Gethran had deeper reasons for lurking around.

Either way, he would remain vigilant. Hard work, synergy refining, cunning illusions… these will be my shield until I can stand openly as a mage. In that final moment before sleep claimed him, Kael pictured forging new synergy plates with advanced illusions, or perhaps engineering a multi-element ward that combined illusions, mild shocks, and partial healing fields. The possibilities were endless—if he only advanced step by patient step.

Status Window

Name: Kael Ashborne

Age: 6 (Approaching 7)

Talent: SSS (Hidden)

Core Grade: Red (Awakened in secret)

Level: 10EXP: 520 / 1600

Attributes:

Strength: 20 Agility: 6 Constitution: 19 Intelligence: 34 Spirit: 45

Free Attribute Points: 0

Trait: Sage's Insight (Passive – fosters advanced comprehension of spells, runes, forging)

Synergy Channeling:

Earth Channeling (Intermediate, Lv.2)Fire Channeling (Intermediate, Lv.1)Water Channeling (Basic, Lv.9)Air Channeling (Basic, Lv.9)Light Channeling (Basic, Lv.9)

Drifting off under the moonlight filtering through the loft's gaps, Kael sensed tomorrow held fresh opportunities—another chance to refine illusions, test forging dust, and strengthen the orchard's defenses against unseen threats. The calm might linger, or danger might return without warning. Either way, Kael's subtle transformations would continue, forging him step by careful step into the mage he vowed to become. The orchard slumbered once more, unknowing of the child in the barn whose quiet power smoldered like an ember, ready to burst into flame when the world needed it most.